In August of 2017, the former director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), Trey Glenn, was named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 4 Administrator. On Monday, Glenn resigned from that post amid arrest in ongoing ethics investigation.
“As you know, unfounded charges haves been levied against me that I must and will fight,” Glenn said in his resignation letter to EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Stepping down now, I hopes removes any distraction from you and all the great people who work at EPA as you carry out the Agency’s mission.”
A grand jury indicted Glenn last week. On Thursday, he was arrested on criminal ethics for multiple violations of Alabama’s Ethics Act. He was booked into a Jefferson County jail in Birmingham before he was released on a $30,000 bond.
Glenn’s history with Alabama
As director of ADEM from 2005 – 2009, Glenn managed over 600 employees tasked with ensuring a safe, healthy, and productive environment to all Alabama residents. Prior to that he served as division director for the Alabama Office of Water Resources from 2001- 2005 where he was responsible for leading day-to-day operations on coordinating and managing Alabama’s water resources. Before to his post at the EPA, Glenn was working as an independent engineer consultant and business owner, focused on environmental issues.
Then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt made the announcement of his appointment.
“Trey Glenn will bring invaluable experience as regional administrator having spent over two decades working in the field of environmental and regulatory policy,” said Pruitt. “Mr. Glenn will help us carry out President Trump’s vision of creating a more streamlined and efficient EPA that focuses on the Agency’s core mission, while also providing more regulatory certainty to our nation’s businesses.”
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey echoed Pruitt’s confidence in Glenn.
“We are proud to have a person of Trey Glenn’s caliber leading such an important organization for our area. His experience as Director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management places him in a unique position to be prepared to work with these southern states,” said Ivey. “We are also especially glad to know someone with in-depth knowledge of Alabama will be overseeing our region. Our state looks forward to working closely with Trey and the EPA team to ensure the needs of the state are met and that we stay environmentally friendly.”
Alabama’s Senior U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby said he believed Glenn was well-prepared for the new role.
“As an accomplished environmental engineer from Alabama, Trey Glenn is well-prepared for this new role and challenge as the EPA Region 4 Administrator,” added Shelby. “Trey has a proven record of leveraging internal and external operations to advance clearly defined goals. Having served as the director of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, he understands the value and importance of state authority and control. I am confident that Trey will provide respected leadership across the eight state region, while also promoting and protecting a strong and healthy environment.”
Read Glenn’s full resignation below:
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